


In Loving Memory...

by overcastskeleton



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Cancer, Fluff, Minor Spideypool, Multi, No Spoilers, Pain, Tony is a great dad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-03 09:20:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14565915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overcastskeleton/pseuds/overcastskeleton
Summary: Peter Parker was diagnosed with cancer on a Friday night. The day started out normal enough, school for Peter, work for Tony. Normal. Normal was good. It was comfortable...Normal was shattered by six words.





	In Loving Memory...

**Author's Note:**

> There are no Infinity War spoilers in this story, but I can't say the same for the comments, so don't read them if you haven't seen the movie. Hope you enjoy this angsty fic. I guarantee I cried writing it. 
> 
> For future reference, the italicized bits are flashbacks.

**1.**

_“Mr. Stark?” A woman opened the door with a smile. “We weren’t expecting you today!”_

_Tony flashed his million dollar smile. “I’m sorry, Isabella. I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”_

_Isabella shook her head. “No, it’s a slow day. I’m sure the kids would love to see you.” She moved to the side. “Come in.”_

_Tony walked through the doorway of the orphanage, immediately taking in the sounds of children screaming. “This is a slow day?”_

_“Believe it or not.” Isabelle smiled, leading Tony into the front room._

_“Mr. Stark!” Came a scream, and Tony was almost knocked to the ground by a small force._

_He looked down, and found the source of the scream wrapped around his knees. “Emma.” He ruffled her blonde curls. “How are you doing, honey?”_

_“I lost another tooth! See!” She smiled broadly, displaying a gap in her front teeth._

_Tony knelt down on her level. “When did this happen?”_

_“At breakfast! Jacob knocked it out with his toy truck.” Emma said proudly._

_Tony looked up at Isabella who mouthed the words “I’ll explain later.”_

_“Well, I hope the Tooth Fairy leaves you something nice.” He squeezed her shoulder._

_Emma threw her arms around his shoulders. “Thank you.” She squeezed him tightly._

_Tony chuckled. “What for?”_

_“Everything,” she whispered._

_He hugged Emma back. “Well in that case, you’re very welcome. Tony stood._

_“Emma, why don’t you go help Miss Ava with snacktime?” Isabelle asked. “I think she might give you some extra cookies for your efforts.”_

_“Okay.” She looked up at Tony. “Are you gonna come back soon?”_

_Tony nodded. “Of course, sweetheart.”_

_“Goodbye, Mr. Stark!” Emma yelled and ran in the direction of the kitchen._

_Tony waved, a giant smile on his face._

_“They really do love you here.” Isabella said, crossing her arms over her chest._

_“Yeah.” Tony watched Emma as she talked animatedly with Ava. “I’m starting to see that.”_

*** * * * ***

_“We’re doing great this month, under budget and everything.” Isabella walked down a spacious hallway. “The rooms are full, even when the kids are adopted, we get more.”_

_A couple boys ran past, playing tag with each other. Tony flattened himself against the wall to avoid being trampled._

_“I’ve noticed a few new faces.” Tony looked up at the art on the wall. “This is great.” He pointed to a particular drawing of a spaceship. “Looks like a diagram.”_

_Isabella walked up beside Tony and stared at the small signature at the bottom of the page. “Oh yeah, that’s Peter’s. He came here a couple weeks ago. He’s a little engineer, four years old and brilliant. He kind of reminds me of you.”_

_Tony stared at the drawing. “I wanna meet him.”_

**_* * * * *_ **

_“He’s a little shy,” Isabella explained in a hushed whisper, as the pair walked into the living room. “But once he warms up to you, you can’t get him to stop. There he is.”_

_Peter was sitting on the floor playing with a lego set._

_“Hey Pete, there’s someone I want you to meet.” Isabella knelt beside him._

_Peter looked up at Tony with big, weary brown eyes._

_“This is Tony Stark. He funds this place, and he likes to visit sometimes to see how we’re doing.”_

_“Hi,” Peter said quietly._

_Tony knelt down beside Peter. “What are you building?”_

_“A house,” Peter said, picking up another Lego. “It’s for the family that’s gonna adopt me.”_

_“Well, it’s a very nice house,” Tony praised. “Any reason it’s red and blue?”_

_Peter stacked another Lego on top of the structure. “They’re my favorite colors.”_

_“Well, you’re quite the architect.”_

_A smile broke out on Peter’s face. “Do you wanna build with me?” He held out a Lego out to Tony._

_“Sure kid,” Tony sat on the carpet beside him. “You got a name.”_

_“Mmhmm, it’s-”_

“Peter Parker-Stark, my man!” Ned yelled, walking down the hall towards his lifelong friend.

The friend in question, Peter, looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Hey Ned.” He turned the dial and unlocked his locker.

“So, are we still gonna build that new Lego set tonight?” Ned asked, leaning against the locker beside Peter’s.

Peter shoved his chemistry textbook into his backpack. “Can’t. I’ve got movie night with my dad. We’re watching _Footloose_ , he’s never seen it.” He slammed the locker door shut.

“So tomorrow then?” Ned persisted. “Come on, this is the big one. We’ve been waiting for this set to come out for _months_!” He said at the reluctant look on Peter’s face.

Peter started walking down the crowded hallway. “I’ve got a lot of chemistry homework-”

Ned rolled his eyes. “That you _finished_ last week. What’s going on?” He stepped in front of his best friend, eyeing him skeptically.

“I just- I haven’t been feeling well lately,” Peter said quietly, facade breaking. “I’m just really tired and I’m having trouble breathing.”

The crowd parted around them, various students shot the pair dirty glares as they passed.

“You never get sick,” Ned said, confused.

Peter shifted on his feet nervously. “I know.”

“Have you told your dad?” Ned asked.

Peter shook his head. “It’s probably just a cold. You know flu season and everything. I don’t want to bother him.”

“Are you sure?” Ned leaned closer, concerned. “I think you should tell Mr. Stark-”

Peter adjusted the straps on his backpack and put on a smile. “Positive. You know what, screw it, let’s go build the Millennium Falcon.” He slung an arm around Ned’s shoulders and steered him outside.

* * * * *

“Peter!” Tony called, walking into the apartment.

“In the living room.” Peter yelled, jumping to his feet and immediately regretting it as the room spun around him. He fell back onto the couch, clutching his head.

Tony walked into the room, a glass of whiskey in hand. “How was school?” He sat on the couch beside Peter.

“Good,” Peter said, rubbing his temples.

“Why are you rubbing your head?” Tony asked, taking a sip from the glass.

Peter winced. “Nothing, just tired.”  

Tony stared at his son, eyes narrowing. “Too tired for movie night?”

“Never.” Peter grinned. “We are watching _Footloose_.”

Tony groaned, running a hand over his face. “Why can’t we just watch _Inception_.”

“ _Because_ we’ve seen that movie a thousand times.” Peter grumbled. “And the ending still doesn’t even make sense!”

Tony finished the whiskey. “That’s the best part!”

“We’re watching _Footloose_ ,” Peter said. “You promised last time.”

Tony, never being able to say no to his son, only pretended to be annoyed. “Is this how this relationship works now? You call the shots and I sit in the backseat?”

Peter got up. “I’m gonna order a pizza, you put on the movie.”

Tony groaned dramatically. “Fine.” He reached for the remote. “ _Footloose_ ,” he mumbled into the microphone.

“Playing _Footloose_ ,” the TV responded.

Tony could hear Peter on the phone in the other room, and smiled. The kid had had him wrapped around his finger from day one, when Tony had visited the orphanage he funded. Peter had looked up at Tony with those big, brown eyes of his and offered him a lego. That’s the moment Tony Stark knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to adopt him.

But now he had grown up, shaped up to be a fine young man. Peter wasn’t that four year old boy building Lego dreams. He was sixteen now, practically a man, and he had a loving father- although _yes_ he still played with Legos.

 _Some things never change_. Tony thought, with a smile.

“Hey dad,” Peter mumbled, shuffling into the living room slowly, a hand on his chest, the other clutching the phone.

“Hm?” Tony turned to look at his son. He stood at the pained expression on Peter’s face. “What’s wrong?”

Their eyes met, and Peter took a step forward. His knees buckled under his weight and he stumbled. Tony caught him, wrapping his arms around Peter’s back, and lowered him to the ground.

“I don’t feel so good,” Peter mumbled into Tony’s shoulder. “Something- something’s wrong…” His voice slurred and his eyebrows fluttered shut. The phone slipped between his fingers and clattered noisily to the floor.

“Peter!” Tony shouted, shaking the boy’s shoulders. “Peter, _hey_ ! _Come on_!” He checked the boy’s pulse- still there, still strong- but his breathing was shallow and sporadic.

Tony shifted Peter’s head into his lap. “Hang on kid.” He picked up the fallen phone and dialed 9-1-1. “It’s okay, you’re okay,” he mumbled, he would realize later that it had been more for his sake than Peter’s.  


End file.
